Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department Condemns Starbucks Incident Involving Deputy
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department has issued a strong response after a deputy was served a cup of coffee at a Norwalk Starbucks bearing a hand-drawn image of a pig.
According to a department statement, the incident occurred on January 9 and was described as “extremely offensive, inappropriate, and unacceptable.” Sheriff’s officials noted that the pig symbol is commonly used to demean law enforcement personnel.
The deputy, who shared his experience on a private Instagram account, said he stopped at the Starbucks during the middle of a 16-hour shift to get coffee so he could continue working. Instead, the drawing left him feeling disrespected.
“It felt discouraging and disrespectful, especially after a long day of serving the community,” the deputy wrote. “All I wanted was caffeine, but instead I left feeling uneasy.”
The deputy reported the incident to the store manager, who informed him that the matter would be investigated.
After being notified, Los Angeles County Sheriff Robert Luna contacted Starbucks’ corporate security division to formally raise concerns and seek accountability. Sheriff Luna also personally spoke with the deputy to check on his well-being and emphasized that disrespect toward department personnel would not be tolerated.
A Starbucks spokesperson later confirmed that the company condemned the employee’s actions. The spokesperson stated that the drawing appeared to be a widely circulated meme unrelated to law enforcement and should never have been placed on a customer’s cup.
“This was unacceptable,” the spokesperson said. “We have reached out multiple times to the customer and to leaders within the Sheriff’s Department to apologize. We deeply appreciate law enforcement officers who work to keep communities safe. An investigation was immediately launched, and swift action is being taken.”